The ongoing technological disruption within project management circles is not stopping anytime soon, and getting ahead of the curve will boost your business’s chances of survival. One area that companies grapple with is how to manage projects with tight budgets and short timelines effectively. 

Mastering how your business manages and delivers on projects with the right project management tools will give your business the needed boost to survive a cutthroat business environment. 

Hence, using project management tools and implementing transparent project management systems has proven effective in delivering successful projects and lowering operational costs. 

According to a Project Management Institute (PMI) survey, innovative organizations that integrated technology into their project management systems completed their projects on time and within budget. 

Known as Project Management Technology Quotient (PMTQ) innovators, these organizations quickly adapt their project management processes to the most efficient technology that can influence the project outcome. As a result, they registered higher project performance, reduced scope creep, and lower failure rates. 

(Image source: pmi.org)

Why do project management tools have such a significant impact on project success? 

Project management features such as automation, artificial intelligence, time tracking, and third-party software integration help speed up project completion by predicting how long teams take to complete tasks. 

Such a feature allows better planning and accurate estimation of project timelines. Additionally, automation frees up valuable time by automating repetitive tasks so that employees can focus on strategic work. 

Below, we’ve compiled the 16 of the best project management tools suitable for all business types. This guide will help you make an informed decision as you look to restructure and scale up your company.

Table of Contents

1. Clickup
2. Trello
3. Monday
4. Wrike
5. Asana
6. Workzone
7. Hive
8. Basecamp
9. Bitrix24
10. Jira
11. Airtable
12. Zoho Projects
13. Kissflow Project
14. Road Munk
15. Smartsheet
16. ProofHub

The Benefits of Project Management Tools

FAQ

ClickUp

ClickUp is a great project management software that simplifies the project management cycle by providing an all-in-one platform that connects your sales, marketing, design, and development functions. In addition, the collaboration tool has a shorter task hierarchy that makes it easier to locate tasks and organize activities.  

Additionally, project managers can track each of these tasks in real-time and highlight teams overloaded with work so they can reallocate resources in good time. This real-time project tracking is due to ClickUp’s machine learning software that enables project managers to estimate future resource needs accurately.

Key Features

• Multiple agile features such as Kanban boards, Gantt charts, sprints, and agile dashboards.
• Highly customizable dashboards with options to add various widgets such as flow charts, velocity charts, Burndown charts, and Burnup charts.
• The project management tool allows users to add comments on image files and PDFs. This feature makes it easier to provide feedback without leaving the platform.
• ClickUp lets users record their screens for seamless demonstrations during presentations and pitches. 
• Machine learning capabilities that generate accurate activity reports. This feature is ideal for distributed teams working remotely as it makes it easier to track employee activity. 
• Simplifies project completion by breaking down targets into smaller goals. These smaller targets are tracked in the application by indicating real-time progress whenever goals are met. 
• The platform provides rich text features that allow teams to develop detailed plans, strategies, and reports.  
• Teams can brainstorm and capture their ideas on the go with the mind map feature. This idea management component lets users jot down ideas, thoughts, and suggestions. Additionally, users can mark their contributions as personal or pinned views for clarity. 
• ClickUp offers customer support through help desk, FAQs, phone support, knowledge base, chat, and live representatives.
• ClickUp offers free training to project managers and their teams.
• The project management app provides end-to-end security that’s compliant with regulatory and industry standards.
• Free storage of up to 100MB per attachment on their free-forever plan.

Pricing 

Price Tier	Free	Unlimited	Business	Business Plus	Enterprise
Pricing per month	No cost	$5 per member	$9 per member	$19 per member	Price on request

Pros and Cons 

Pros	Cons
An intuitive and easy-to-navigate user interface	The many features can be overwhelming, especially for new users
Project managers can convert user comments & suggestions into tasks	Limited amount of storage in the free plan
Affordable and offers more features on the freemium plan compared to other platforms.	Gantt charts, dashboard features, and reporting tools are only available to paying members.
Teams can estimate project completion time with the software’s sprint feature.	Though ClickUp has many features, it’s a lot to master, and customizing the different components can be tedious.
24/7 customer support available on multiple platforms

Bottom Line

ClickUp offers a variety of project management tools and specific modules for business functions such as finance and marketing. Additionally, the project management software simplifies remote work coordination through their AI-enabled tracking tool. Finally, the platform’s prices accommodate both small to medium-sized enterprises and large organizations.

Trello

Trello is a visual project management tool and project planning software designed to visualize workflows, track projects, and highlight assigned tasks. The project management software features the Kanban board principle by displaying workflows, tasks, and projects through a board-style user interface. The homepage features lists, cards, and boards, which can all be labeled according to your team’s structure and project goals. 

(Image source: computerworld.com)

Key Features

• Built-in automation. Trello automates repetitive actions such as scheduling assignments and deadline notifications to team members.
• 3rd-party software integration of popular work apps such as Google Drive, Slack, Dropbox., Confluence and Evernote.
• Easy-to-navigate User Interface with portable cards and a timeline view of projects.
• Free option for up to 10 boards per workspace. 
• Available on mobile as Android and iOS mobile apps.

Pricing 

Price Tier	Free	Standard	Premium	Enterprise
Pricing per month	No charge	$5 (billed annually)	$10 (billed annually)	$17.50 (billed annually)

Pros and Cons 

Pros	Cons
Simple User Interface that’s easy to navigate	Mainly suitable for individuals and small teams
Easy to track progress on projects	locating specific items becomes more challenging as the team grows and more projects pile up
Trello’s Butler automation system frees up teams from repetitive tasks	Limited visualization options for projects because the platform doesn’t provide graphs and Gantt charts
Allows browser plugins and extensive third-party configurations	Admins cannot control user activity or access to specific projects, thereby exposing your business to security issues
	Trello only provides 10MB per file on their free plan compared to other project management apps that give up to 100MB per file.

Bottom Line

Trello is a project management software ideal for individuals and small businesses to organize their projects without investing in powerful enterprise software.  

Monday.com

Monday.com is a highly intuitive and cloud-based work management platform that facilitates online collaboration among teams and tracking of tasks. The project management and task management tool features over 200 templates and 30+ column formats for users to choose from. 

Additionally, the project management platform has a variety of productivity components such as calendar integration, automated notifications, and dependencies between different tasks. 

(Image source: crazyegg.com)

Key Features

• Teams can collaborate in real-time view without disrupting team workflows.

• The project management platform lets users integrate with other databases and work tools. 
• The status updates feature allows teams to collaborate and communicate within tasks to stay in context without external email communication.
• Users can embed various types of media such as video conferences and chat applications.
• Teams can build data dashboards to collect and visualize data from the software’s boards. This way, users can visualize their data through embedded charts and graphs.
• Customizable security permissions – administrators can customize privileges to control who has access to their platform. 
• Monday.com offers 500MB storage on their free plan.

Pricing 

Price Tier	Individual	Basic	Standard	Pro	Enterprise
Pricing per month	free	$8 per seat (billed annually)	$10 per seat (billed annually)	$16 per seat (billed annually)	Price on request

Pros and Cons 

Pros	Cons
Teams can split bigger projects into bite-sized checklists for easier project tracking	Lagging User Interface with many confusing facets, especially for beginners
The project management software automates recurring tasks, notifications, and status changes.	Lacks idea management tools for capturing quick ideas on the go
The project management platform provides multiple board views	A simplistic dashboard that could use more functionality and flexibility
Users can visualize their projects with Gantt charts and graphs	The platform does not allow members to assign comments to specific individuals
Provides highly customizable tools for reporting and analytical tasks	The freemium option is only up to 2 members/seats
	The costly pricing model for individuals and small business owners

Bottom Line

Monday.com is an ideal project management software for large organizations with multiple teams handling different projects. Though their pricing may not favor small businesses, their tools and features offer more flexibility and customization. 

Wrike

Wrike combines the traditional project management view with kanban boards and Gantt charts to provide a visually immersive and intuitive platform. The project management solution also has a 24/7 help desk center with additional training and guidance to help users navigate the project management tool. 

What makes Wrike unique is that they’ve gone a step further to provide specific solutions for all business functions. For example, Wrike developed a CMS solution for marketing while product development teams have a separate module for managing software development projects.  

(Image source: pcmag.com)

Key Features

• The project management software provides 400+ integrations and add-ons for all business functions and applications. 
• File tracking and versioning – teams can easily track recent revisions on file attachments to prevent members from working on different file versions.  
• Collaborative file editing – teams can edit and contribute to documents in real-time within the platform.
• Resource management – users can view resource allocation and availability to assess workloads for each team member.
• Drag and drop feature for efficient folder, file, and task management.
• Wrike provides multi-tiered protection and has an in-house security add-on that encrypts workspace data and file attachments.
• The free subscription includes 2GB of storage spacer per account.

Pricing 

Price Tier	Free	Professional	Business	Enterprise	Pinnacle
Pricing per month	No cost	$9.80 per user (billed annually)	$24.80 per user (billed annually)	Price on request	Price on request

Pros and Cons 

Pros	Cons
The project management software has an intuitive dashboard that displays the project’s life cycle.	The platform has a long learning curve for new users due to its complexity
Task dependencies auto-adjust when deliverables change	Project managers have to add new users to the platform manually
Customizable workflows for each team and project type	Wrike does not have an advanced filtering option for customizing the information displayed on your dashboard.
Built-in approvals with simplified sign-offs on files, tasks, and projects	Fewer settings for prioritizing tasks. The platform only provides an ‘importance’ setting for tasks.
Allows for third-party app integrations and supports Zapier, which connects the platform to non-native apps	Users don’t have the option of customizing their workspace
The project management tool has an intuitive search engine	The pricing model per user is steep and may not favor small to medium enterprises.
Their free plan is competitive and offers more features compared to other project management apps.

Bottom Line

In addition to project planning and management, Writer is also a work management platform for managing day-to-day tasks. Additionally, their API documentation is also user-friendly and allows seamless integration to other applications. On the flip side, Wrike is quite pricey, especially for startups. Their price per user is on the higher end compared to other project management tools.

Also read: 20 Best AI SEO Software Tools To Rank Higher 

Asana

Asana is one of the best project management software for task organization. The platform’s task list feature is practical, and users can customize activities with percentages ( %completed). In addition, the platform has an overview page that connects users to the overall company goals, which provides context for a project’s long-term objective. 

Apart from offering a Kanban board and Gantt views, Asana goes granular to provide milestone tracking, project mapping, and calendar views for increased visibility over project life cycles.

(Image source: computerworld.com)

Key Features

• Users get to assign sub-tasks to specific assignees.
• Custom fields allow you to create numbered, text, or drop-down sections to capture and sort information uniformly.
• Track team submissions through forms that are connected to projects.
• Asana allows you to map similar tasks across multiple projects to avoid duplicity.
• Comment-only controls that prevent unapproved changes on projects by allowing some team members only to make comments.
• Team pages that let you see all your team’s tasks in one view.
• The project management tools are English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Japanese, and German.
• Team bandwidth helps you view your team’s resources and workloads to make informed resource allocation and rebalancing decisions.  
• File gallery view lets you locate files quickly.
• A colorblind-friendly palette that accommodates colorblind users.
• Asana offers 100MB storage per file for their free forever plan.

Pricing 

Price Tier	Basic	Premium	Business	Enterprise
Pricing per month	no cost (free forever)	$10 per user (billed annually)	$24.99 per user (billed annually)	Price on request

Pros and Cons

Pros	Cons
The free version accommodates teams of up to 15 members, which is ideal for startups and medium enterprises.	Users need onboarding training due to the many features available, which can be confusing to new members.
Offers discounted rates of up to 50% for non-profit organizations subscribed to their business plan	It doesn’t have a time tracking tool that affects customers who need to bill by the hour.
Asana prioritizes simple tasks by also giving them deadlines and labels.	Limited file exporting options. Asana only supports CSV and JSON file export formats. This limits users who want to export information in Excel or PDF formats
Built-in administrator controls that give project managers more freedom to manage team activity

Bottom Line

Asana is a stable and feature-rich project management tool that’s suitable for all business types. Their free plan offers a  subscription of up to 15 members, which is quite attractive for startups and small to medium enterprises. In addition, the non-profit discount is an excellent incentive for non-profit organizations with tight budgets. Overall, the few cons compared to the benefits will not discourage potential clients from looking for a reliable and agile project management solution. 

Workzone

Workzone was initially designed for service-based businesses (advertising and marketing) but now has features that support all business types. The project management tool prioritizes functionality, seamless file management, and document collaboration among teams. 

Though most project management tools focus on adding new features, Workzone provides essential functionalities that get the job done and are friendly to less technical users. Moreover, the project management app has all MS Excel features and can export information to external excel formats without using CSV formats. 

Additionally, users within a task timeline also get notifications when the previous team member completes an activity which helps in keeping everyone in the loop throughout the project’s life cycle.  

(Image source: softwareconnect.com)

Key Features

• A project dashboard gives a birds-eye view of all projects and a notes section for additional information. In addition, project metrics are displayed either as lists or as a Gantt chart. 
• To-do lists that are emailed automatically to team members. When teams update their to-do lists, the system updates the project plans with the new changes.
• Gantt charts that visualize workflows across timelines.
• Status alerts that identify at-risk activities and flag tasks that are behind schedule.
• Interlinked task dependencies to avoid activity or resource overlaps.
• Custom project request forms that funnel requests to a centralized dashboard.
• Time tracker that measures actual time spent on projects vs. budgeted time. This feature helps in billing project hours according to tasks and users. 
• Master calendar that centralizes all work activities. Users can integrate their calendars into the group calendar for easier.
• Workzone email alerts that directly notify users involved in a specific task.

Pricing 

Price Tier	Team	Professional	Enterprise
Pricing per month	$24 per user (billed annually)	$34 per user (billed annually)	$43 per user (billed annually)

Pros and Cons

Pros	Cons
Less technical members can easily navigate and customize Workzone with little involvement from tech support	Professional plan subscribers still have limited access to features despite the high cost per user.
Great tool for managing campaigns and creative-related projects	The project management software is only web-based and does not have a mobile app option
It’s an excellent tool for decentralized teams working remotely since the platform is cloud-hosted	Limited features mean users cannot fully customize their workspace to their liking
Automated email reminders to keep members on track throughout the project’s life cycle	Requires lengthy backtracking to locate and reassign tasks to new members who join an ongoing project
	Workzone still does not provide unlimited storage for paying customers. As a result, clients may still have to buy more storage.

Bottom Line

Workzone is an efficient business process management software suitable for serving clients who need to bill by the hour. However, though Workzone provides a straightforward workspace, you can get additional features with a more robust project management tool.

Hive

Hive rates highly for its in-app communication capabilities due to its seamless integration with chatbots and email software. In addition, the project management software boasts 1000+ integrations, including Google Drive, Zoom, and Slack, among others. 

Hive is also a few project management solutions that use machine learning to identify performance anomalies and workflow inefficiencies. This machine learning feature transforms the Hive from a traditional project management platform into a productivity tool that positively influences team performance. 

(Image source: softwaresupp.com)

Key Features

• Hive has infinite sub-tasks that let users convert subtasks into actual projects.
• Time tracking and timesheets enable easier staffing and resource allocation.
• The project management app provides Gantt charts, Kanban board, portfolio table, and calendar views.
• Centralized workflow management with sub-actions that display team members assigned to the subtask.
• The “My Actions” component lets users view all tasks assigned to them in one portal.
•  Focus mode enables individuals to focus on their work without interruptions by muting all notifications and chats.
• Multiple customer support options through FAQs, product guides, phone and chat support.
• Unlimited storage space with the free option.

Pricing 

Price Tier	Hive Solo	Hive Teams	Hive Enterprise
Pricing per month	$0 (free forever)	$12 per user (billed annually)	Price on request

Pros and Cons 

Pros	Cons
Hive is affordable compared to other platforms and offers a lot of features on their free plan.	Hive’s mobile app has lesser functionality compared to its desktop version.
The project management system has a robust messaging feature that integrates seamlessly with other third-party apps	Some third-party app integrations like Gmail are not stable, and users have to download attachments to view the content.
Dashboards have built-in machine learning that consistently monitors workflows to identify inefficiencies.
Hive has a reactive customer support system that quickly acts on your issues with minimal wait time.
All plans (including the free option) provide unlimited storage space.

Bottom Line

Hive offers plenty of free project management software features in their zero-cost plan compared to other free plans. Additionally, their prices are moderate and can fit a startup’s budget even as they scale. Also, their built-in chatbot is a unique feature that allows users to communicate in real-time without resorting to the external messaging app. 

Basecamp

Basecamp is one of the best project management tools trusted by millions of users globally due to its efficiency and workflow automation. One feature that stands out with Basecamp is its automated check-in component that helps business leaders keep tabs on a project. 

It works by automatically posting questions like “What did you work on today” or “what are you working on this week” to team workspaces for team leaders to get quick updates without sending emails or text messages. 

(Image source: pcmag.com)

Key Features

• Client access workspace lets you share projects, files, to-do lists, and messages with external parties. You can also choose between team-only viewing or allow the client to see the messages.
• Hill charts that eliminate daily stand-ups by displaying the project’s lifecycle and progress towards completion.  
• Pings (direct messages) that enable one-on-one conversations among co-workers.
• Reports that capture all activities relevant to the project. Project managers can click on any task and get a summary of the project, the person responsible, and an individual’s past activity.
• An intuitive search engine lets users find conversations, emails, images, and files without scrolling through lists of search results.
• Chat rooms that enable real-time conversation without using external messaging apps.  Each project gets its chat room.
• Check-in questions that let project managers get quick status updates on a predetermined schedule.

Pricing 

Price Tier	Basecamp personal	Basecamp Business
Pricing per month	Free	$99 USD (flat-rate)

Pros and Cons

Pros	Cons
No per-user monthly fees	Basecamp has one premium plan, which may not be ideal for companies looking to address specific needs.
Free 30-day trial and does not require credit card information while signing up	Limited project and task views. Basecamp does not offer a built-in Kanban board or Gantt chart, and users have to rely on third-party add-ons.
The free subscription allows 20 users, which is ideal for startups	It offers little flexibility in how users get updates and notifications.
Customers who pay for an entire year subscription upfront get a 15% discount	Users cannot connect tasks to sub-tasks
Members can cancel their subscriptions and get a refund for unused months.

Bottom Line

Base camp is a dependable project management tool that proves beneficial for most business types.  However, if you’re looking for price flexibility and a platform that can meet industry-specific needs, other alternatives are available for you to choose from. 

Also read: The Best AI Writing Tools: 11 Worth Checking Out

Bitrix24

Bitrix24 is an all-rounded collaboration platform that handles multiple operations across a business and has all the typical project management app features. But what makes Bitrix24 unique is that the project management software has an in-built Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, a contact center, and a communication portal. In addition, Bitrix24 also has a website builder tool for creating responsive websites, complete with web templates for different business functions.

Bitrix24 does an excellent job of providing end-to-end services required to run a fully functional business. 

(Image source: project-management.com)

Key Features

• An in-built Customer Relationship Management tool that manages contacts, leads, invoicing, web forms, sales automation, and reports.
• A task management tool with Gantt charts, Kanban board, and dependencies for organizing tasks and sub-tasks.
• File management module for storage and file sharing.
• Automated time tracking and management.
• Resource management tool with an absence chart, employee directory, and leave request forms.
• Bitrix24 has an online and app-based Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software.
• An in-built call center software supports telephony modules, automated dialers, social networks and generates call reports.
• Supports video conferencing with unlimited call duration.
• Project Groups allow you to create separate groups for each of your projects and customize access controls to only allow authorized members.
• The platform’s cloud-based API and REST API enables you to integrate third-party applications like DropBox, Slack, Gmail, and Office 365.
• Users can transfer conversations from one communication channel to another.
• Bitrix24 offers cloud-hosting and on-premise packages.

Pricing (cloud-Hosting)

Price Tier	Free	Basic	Standard	Professional
Pricing per month	No cost	$39 (for all users) Five users maximum	$79 (for all users) 50 users maximum	$ USD 159 (unlimited users)

Pros and Cons

Pros	Cons
Bitrix24 is a value-for-money project management platform. Customers get numerous features at a low cost.	The user interface is slightly complex due to the many features available
Enhances in-app collaboration and coordination across different departments	Some tools are hidden in unexpected locations, which  makes navigation confusing
Bitrix24 is highly versatile and ideal for medium-sized enterprises who need an all-in-one platform for handling their business processes.	Some widgets are heavy and may slow down your website’s performance.
The platform automates emails, call scheduling  and sends notifications to the sales team to follow through with leads.	The desktop app has reduced functionality compared to the online version.
Free plan users can manage unlimited projects

Bottom Line

Bitrix24 is a hub for all your mission-critical activities and offers the best project management add-ons for company-wide operations. Users rarely have to leave the platform to get the work done and seamlessly collaborate with cross-functional teams. In addition, their powerful CRM module, communication tools, and website builder form a solid basis for startups to launch new products.

Jira

Jira is a favorite among the software development community due to its powerful task management solution managing the product development life cycle. Jira started as an issue tracker and has evolved into agile project management that handles multiple projects and enhances team collaboration among software development teams. 

Jira is the best project management software for companies implementing agile methodologies within their coding, testing, and release processes.  

(Image source: techcrunch.com)

Key Features

• Jira is the right project management tool for managing development projects iteratively.
• Test management add-ons such as customized screens and Jira issues integrate Quality Assurance (QA) slides into the software development process.
• Kanban Boards and scrum tools for mapping workflows onto customizable templates
• Real-time performance and time tracking with sprint reports and velocity charts to monitor progression and productivity.
• Roadmaps for planning large projects ahead of time and increases predictability in new feature releases to prevent backlogs. 
• Jira offers multiple real-time reporting templates that track progress towards deployment and identifies bottlenecks in the delivery pipeline.
• Connects development teams and DevOps into one platform, which improves visibility on projects, repositories, and production.
• Project managers get to track resources and monitor team capacity from the overall project to specific sprints.
• Create best and worst-case scenarios with Advanced Roadmaps to reduce failure rate and increase the quality of your deployments.
• Jira’s free plan accommodates up to 10 users and 2 GB of free storage.

Pricing

Price Tier	Free	Standard	Premium	Enterprise
Pricing per month	No cost	$7.50 per user	$14.50 per user	Price on request

Pros and Cons

Pros	Cons
Jira is a good project management tool for identifying and reporting loopholes in software	Migrating projects to Jira is time-consuming because users have to move each artifact manually
The scrum feature streamlines development and deployment activities while reducing delays in launching new features	Users cannot download Jira’s graphical reports as high-resolution images
Jira is the preferred project planning tool among software developers, product managers, and DevOps professionals because it supports agile and traditional project management	Jira does not have a built-in timeline module for tracking progress
The project management software provides a variety of labels to mark issues and your project’s status. project management features	The platform lacks advanced project management features like idea management and an in-built messaging platform. Users have to install cats as an add-on.

Bottom Line

Jira is a highly specialized project portfolio management tool designed for software developers and product managers. For this reason, the platform provides a wide variety of tools to manage the software development cycle and has all the essential tools for managing projects. However, if you need inclusive software that caters to other departments and external clients, other alternatives cater to broad-spectrum needs. 

Airtable

Airtable takes the lead in database management, content management, and collaboration.  The platform adopted a spreadsheet format but with more functionality that increases agility and enhances productivity. In terms of data organization, the online project management tool organizes data using a spreadsheet-like format on the desktop while mobile users view data as clickable cards.

What sets Airtable apart from its competition is how they organize projects. Most project management platforms provide one platform with different sub-features, but with Airtable, they created spreadsheet-like templates for other use cases. 

For example, the company created templates for publishing, legal, HR, Real Estate, Remote work, and much more. This versatility gives users a low-code alternative to customizing their workspace.

(Image source: bloomberg.com)

Key Features

• Spreadsheet format with customizable fields, record rearrangement, filter, and sort functionality.
• Users can interlink records between different tables.
• Automated file backups.
• Resource management section that maintains forms, calendars, and communication tools
• Pre-designed templates for multiple business use cases like HR, legal, marketing, video production, non-profit organizations, and more.
• Custom formats like the traditional spreadsheet, calendar view, gallery view, and Kanban board help users customize project details to their team’s needs.
• Good storage options range from 2GB to 1 Terabyte(TB).
• Easy to use tables for managing tasks and to-do lists.
• Airtable is available on Android and iOS.

Pricing

Price Tier	Free	Plus	Pro	Enterprise
Pricing per month	No cost	$10/per seat (billed annually)	$20 per seat/ billed annually	Price upon request

Pros and Cons 

Pros	Cons
Airtable’s project management tools are essential enough to accommodate any business type	Users have to manually update tables with task data which can be tedious, especially for large teams
Users can restrict viewing of spreadsheet data to authorized personnel	Airtable relies heavily on plugins to provide its users with advanced project management features
Simple to use and navigate user interface	The project management software doesn’t have a built-in communication feature for real-time chats and messaging

Bottom Line

Airtable’s mission is to provide a simple, uncluttered workspace for users to get the job done. So if your company only requires a simplified tool for resource management, resource allocation, and database management, this is the right tool for you. Airtable is also ideal for lean teams that manage simple projects with fewer dependencies and minimal integrations.

Zoho Projects

Zoho improves the project management workflow and efficiency by enabling you to create templates for overlapping tasks and dependencies. Additionally, you can convert former and ongoing projects into new templates to reduce repetitive administrative work. Another distinctive component in Zoho is their portal settings which allow you to add your company’s business hours and create a custom URL.

(Image source: pcmag.com)

Key Features

• Task and business process automation with Zoho’s blueprint editor.
• Issue tracking tool for capturing software bugs and sending out alerts to teams involved on the specific issue.
• Built-in Service Level Agreement (SLA) template for creating client contracts on the go. 
• An interactive forum for real-time chats and status comments.
• An activity stream for users to view the latest changes on issues and tasks.
• Repository for capturing relevant information about a project. This feature simplifies the onboarding of new employees to ongoing projects.

Pricing

Price Tier	Free	Premium	Enterprise
Pricing per month	No cost	$5USD/per client (billed annually)	$10/per client (billed annually)

Pros and Cons 

Pros	Cons
Reasonable pricing that’s friendly to all business types	Zoho’s search tool is limited to within projects. The company could extend it to search for anything in the platform without switching tasks
Zoho allows unlimited projects, and users can quickly move between projects without changing their workspace	The project management software has a high learning curve, especially during the initial setup
Efficient task and project tracking tool
Reliable customer support that’s always available and

Bottom Line

Zoho projects provide all the salient features a good project management software should offer.  In addition, their subscriptions are priced reasonably and offer lots of features across the different price points.

Kissflow Project

Kissflow helps users develop personalized applications for business activities with low-code tools, making it an essential asset in business process automation. This simple project management software provides 50+ pre-installed applications for various use cases such as employee onboarding, vendor management, and purchase orders. 

Kissflow also offers a powerful procurement platform that’s customizable and manages the entire procurement process without leaving the platform.

(Image source: getapp.com)

Key Features

• Kissflow offers free trials on their starter and professional plans.
• Multiple views for organizing tasks and projects include the Kanban system, list view, and matrix view.
• Activity feed that displays real-time updates on all activities.
• Users can mention team members on specific tasks, to-do lists, and task cards.
• Reporting templates that visualize the teams’ activities and displays time estimates for each project.
• Attendance tracking where supervisors can calculate overtime and schedule projects for employees.

Pricing

Price Tier	Starter	Professional	Enterprise
Pricing per month	$7/per user (billed annually)	$12/per user (billed annually)	Price on request

Pros and Cons

Pros	Cons
Professional plan subscribers get 14 days free trial when they sign up	Less technical users have a high learning curve with Kissflow
Users can access their ticket history, which is suitable for accountability	Kissflow does not have process mapping functionalities
Kissflow has a customer-centric sales and IT support team. Issues are resolved quickly with little wait time	Users cannot copy and paste tasks
Their User Interface is appealing and simplifies the process of designing workflows

Bottom Line

Kissflow operates on a people-first approach where the project management software lets users create workflows and develop applications based on their needs. The project management tool offers reasonable prices suitable for larger teams and bigger organizations. 

Road Munk

Road Munk is a one-of-a-kind visual project management tool that specializes in mapping project activities, ideas, and customer feedback. The comprehensive project management software also has broad-room-ready mapping templates to communicate your strategic plans. 

(Image source: productschool.com)

Key Features

• Idea prioritization feature captures product ideas, estimated revenues, and project hours required to build the product. 
• Road maps display a timeline of the project’s life cycle, specific product requirements, and teams involved.
• Visual representation of dependencies between road maps.

Pricing

Price Tier	Starter	Business	Professional	Enterprise
Pricing per month	$19/per user (billed annually)	$49/per user (billed annually)	$99 per user (billed annually)	Price on request

Pros and Cons 

Pros	Cons
High-quality user interface that’s easy to set up	Navigation is sometimes inefficient because users have to backtrack on a road map to copy and paste its content
Excellent project management software for visualizing project timelines and dependencies	Road Munk lacks advanced features associated with project management software tools
The platform produces professional road maps that can be presented in a board meeting.	Road Munk pricing is relatively high compared to other project management tools
Users can create multiple views with the same database

Bottom Line

Road Munk breaks the mold of the typical project management tools by creating a unique web-based platform for product managers who want a simple user interface and flexible workflows. We highly recommend road Munk for product teams looking to gain visibility on all their projects.

Smartsheet

Smartsheet is another spreadsheet-type project management tool for tracking projects across multiple use cases. In essence, Smartsheet combines Excel features with more collaboration and project management capabilities. Each sheet contains project information, and users can add status, descriptions, due dates, files, images, among other details. 

(Image source: computerworld.com)

Key Features

• Resource management for easier scheduling and forecasting of resources
• A centralized control panel for managing administrative tasks
• Business process automation workflows that trigger actions across your tasks
• Content collaboration and version control between your creative team, clients, and other colleagues.
• Brand folder for managing your brand and digital assets from a central repository.
• Data shuttle that connects your mission-critical systems such as CRM, ERP, and your data warehouse.

Pricing

Price Tier	Pro	Business	Enterprise
Pricing per month	$7/per user (billed annually)	$25/per user (billed annually)	Price on request

Pros and Cons

Pros	Cons
Subscribers get a 30-day free trial, and no credit card information is required while signing up	The mobile application doesn’t have an auto-save feature, so users have to activate this component to save their work manually
Provides all the essential project management tools without cluttering your workspace with unnecessary add-ons	Smartsheet’s prices are on the higher side compared to other options in the same category
The work management platform is cloud-based and accessible from any location or device.	Requires add-ons for time tracking and  budgeting
It has a variety of dashboards to choose from

Bottom Line

Smartsheet is a great project management software for those who prefer the spreadsheet format. In addition, a project management tool is an excellent option for capturing information from web forms. 

ProofHub

ProofHub is one of the Best project management tools used by well-established organizations across the globe. ProofHub’s unique proposition is that the platform scales whenever your company grows without any downtime. Their web version captures all the tools required to run small to large-scale projects among cross-functional teams. ProofHub quickly adds new features based on customer feedback and market needs, evidenced by their latest remote-work features. 

(Image source: pcmag.com)

Key Features

• Task management that gives context to each task, sub-tasks, and the overall project.
• Timesheets for capturing hours spent working for easier billing.
• ProofHub has three communication tools – chat, group chat, and discussions – designed to improve communication among team members and external stakeholders.
• Table view of projects and tasks that lets you select which task fields to view and can export the information as a CSV file. 

 Pricing

Price Tier	Essential	Ultimate control
Pricing per month	$45 (billed annually)	$89 (billed annually)

Pros and Cons 

Pros	Cons
Reliable customer support that’s available 24/7	Limited integrations with third-party applications
Minimal learning curve due to the ease of navigation	Users have to launch a new window to view item details which can be cluttered if viewing multiple items

Bottom Line

ProofHub contains all relevant project management tools and task management features which allows teams to work without leaving the application. This exclusivity ensures teams work with minimal disruptions. The platform also provides a flat fee and no per-user fees, ideal for small to mid-sized companies and large organizations. 

The Benefits of Project Management Tools

The best project management tools increase productivity which in turn impacts your company’s revenues. From a 2020 report, 67% of organizations that undervalued project management tools resulted in failure. Such statistics indicate that good project management software benefits your company in tangible ways. Below are the benefits of using a good project management app:

• Improves project delivery speed, and teams meet their deadlines on time.
• Leads to better collaboration among team members and cross-functional teams.
• Facilitates remote working. Companies don’t have to set up premises and operate purely on Cloud with the right project management software. 
• Aligning your projects with good project management software enables completion within the set budget. 

FAQ

What is Project Management Software?

Project management software is a technology-based tool that assists companies in streamlining their project activities, monitor project progress, track employee activity, communicate, manage tasks, and secure project data all in one platform. 

What are Project Management Tools?

Project management tools work by assisting entire teams in organizing and customizing their workspace and how project tasks are completed. 

What are the Top Features of Project Management Tools?

There are different project management tools in the market, and all of them claim to offer superior services. However, the best project management tools have the following features:

• Provides unlimited projects for their users.
• Has expense-tracking features for billing hours spent on projects, invoicing, and procurement.
• The tools provide options for customizing the project management process. It’s not rigid and offers multiple templates for customization.
• Project managers can easily view project team activities and assign tasks within the platform without switching to third-party integrations.
• The tools should break down a complex project into manageable subtasks and to-do lists.
• The project management software reviews on software forums are mostly favorable. 
• Offers a free plan. Project management tools that provide free plans give you a chance to test their platforms before you purchase subscriptions.
• Good software provides online project management tools to enable remote work and cloud-based operations.
• File storage and document management capabilities.

What is the Best Project Management Tool for Small Teams?

From our analysis above, each project management plan offers decent tools to support your company in different ways. However, suppose you’re looking for an all-in-one solution that gives you advanced features without bogging you down with unnecessary add-ons. In that case, we recommend new project management tools such as ClickUp. 

ClickUp accommodates small teams and mid-sized teams by giving you multiple features at a low cost. Additionally, their customer support is superb and always available to tackle issues.

Why Use a Project Management Tool?

Studies show that companies that embrace technology to optimize their activities and deliver successful projects experience lower failure rates, and their projects are within budget. Moreover, a good project management app ensures you get tangible and measurable value. 

Do I Need a Project Management Tool?

As technology disrupts the business environment, you need to focus on strategic work that ensures business growth. Top project management tools free up valuable time so you can scale up your business.